New Delhi: Ukraine’s capital Kyiv was targeted by multiple drones in an attack early Monday, news agency AP reported citing authorities. This comes three days after what they described as one of Russia’s most significant assaults on Kyiv since the beginning of the war last year.
More than 20 Iranian-made drones were detected over the capital’s airspace and at least 15 of them were shot down, Kyiv city administration said on its Telegram account, AP reported. It further said that a critical infrastructure point was hit, without giving more details.
Some infrastructure facilities were damaged, as well as private houses, and at least two people were injured, Kyiv region Gov. Oleksii Kuleba said on Telegram Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that explosions were heard in two districts, Shevchenkivskyi and Solomianskyi, as reported by AP.
He said also on Telegram that there were no immediate casualties reported, and that the emergency services are working in the area. Although Kyiv seemed the main target, the armed forces said that other places in the country were also targeted by the Russian forces.
Ukraine’s air force said on Telegram that they were able to destroy 30 of at least 35 self-exploding drones that Russia launched across the country from the eastern side of the Azov Sea. Kyiv was attacked as part of a massive strike from Russia on Friday. Dozens of missiles were launched across the country which led to widespread power outages.
Explosions shook cities and towns across Ukraine in the second-largest attack this week on Friday. The Mayor of Ukraine's central city of Kremenchuk Vitalii Maletsky told the New York Times that heat was out for more than 200,000 customers as temperatures hovered around 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 degrees Celsius). He implored people to "close all windows and take all possible measures to preserve heat."
According to Klitschko, in Kyiv, even after hours of repairs, about two-thirds of the residents were left without heat and water and about 60 per cent were left without electricity. Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, was left without power, heating, and water after the new wave of Russian missile strikes across the country. 'Colossal' damage said mayor, media reported.
The attack by Russia comes amid warnings from Ukraine's military and political leaders that Russia is likely to make another attempt to seize Kyiv and was preparing for a new ground offensive this winter. The United States once again welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's position on the Ukraine conflict, which calls for the cessation of all kinds of violence and the pursuit of the path of diplomacy.
"We would take PM Modi at his words and welcome those comments when they took place. Other countries will make their own decision on engagement with Russia. We continue to coordinate with allies to mitigate impacts of war," said State Department's Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel during a press conference on Thursday. Patel made these remarks in response to a question on India's position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and PM Modi's call to end the war.
Earlier in September, on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Samarkand, PM Modi had told Russian President Vladimir Putin that "today's era isn't of war". He also emphasized the need to find ways to address the problems of food, fuel security, and fertilizers.
(With agencies Inputs)